Yeah this album delivers, just gotta wait for the new release hype to die down to filter out some of the outrage and empty criticisms. Glad to see it didnt permanently break this website lol

Album Rating: 3.0

I enjoy that tool obsessives have this weird idea that after a few months everyone will suddenly acquiesce to what a masterpiece this is when - when has that ever happened to any album ever really? Especially not a Tool one.



Maybe some people just think it's all right, and that shouldn't stress you out

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

I dunno I just see them as getting less vital and more recycled from Aenima on and that is maybe an even less forgivable thing when you’re taking 5-10 years between albums



Not sure A Perfect Circle helped really - a dude who seems to have run dry on vocal melodies and ideas stretching them between two bands :/

Album Rating: 3.0

this is about on par with 10k so anyone who liked that would probably dig this

This and 10,000 Days don’t have very much in common so I dunno about that

Album Rating: 3.0

I agree more in a 'they're both absolutely fine but I can't see myself picking it over listening to something else 9 times out of 10' way

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

I think this is probably better than 10k but then it’s perhaps even safer an approach than that album, which had a couple of curveballs

Album Rating: 2.0

Get some perspective slags band is bland as fuck. The tune Aenema is fucking outstanding though.

Album Rating: 2.0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6IcMDYDZWk



Kmac summing up why I hate this band and their fans.

Album Rating: 3.0

Hot take Hooker with a Penis is the best song on Aenima because it has the guts to try something different

Album Rating: 3.0

I beg to differ. They're both pretty samey from start to finish and they have those annoying tribal drums all over the place in loo of riffs or cutting the songs shorter.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

js9 you mean be spiritually aligned to Opiate than something different

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Hooker is another winner, there are eight top songs on that one. Then three or four on Lat...one on 10k...and, eh, none on this (but it is quite solid in an average’y way)

Album Rating: 4.0

About the alleged silliness of the "it sounds like Tool objection". I don't think it's so silly. Admittedly, phrased like that, if taken literally, it seems unreasonable. What's so bad about sounding like the band that you are? And moreover, the alternative - not sounding like the band you are - seems itself objectionable. But the objection shouldn't be interpreted so literally. What is meant is something like "it is possible for a band to retain their musical identity while exploring previously unexplored sounds within the potential remit of that identity, and Tool have failed to do that" or "this thing has borrowed ideas from past albums so closely that its creativity is impinged". And both of these objections have merit to my mind, even though I'm enjoying FI and feeling it grow on me.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Listening to it, Invincibe feels more in line with what their openers usually went for in comparison to the title track, which has a perfectly Tool-y intro but has such a slow build-up that is makes the album's start feel kinda sluggish. Invincible's beginning has more of that hype-inducing energy akin to Vicarious or The Grudge.

Album Rating: 3.0

In the Internet age there so much goddamn music to explore when a band puts out a worse version of the sound they've already perfected there is absolutely zero reason to listen to the new one over listening to older material or trying out something new and interesting.



In the past you could argue access to other music was limited so new albums that were retreads were a bit more relevant

Album Rating: 2.0

Gonna land on a solid 3 here and probably never listen again.



You make a good point JS19

I mean you can throw the interludes in the garbage and never look back, but to ignore the core 7 tracks and never listen again would be a mistake.

Even if you didn't listen for 5 years, you should definitely try this again with a clearer head

Album Rating: 3.0

proggy band

struggling

to remain

relevant

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

If they had wanted to stay relevant they wouldn't have waited 13 years to release an album.